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GREATLY TO BE PRAISED

The Psalms have been given to us by God as a helpful gift and guide for prayer, which is why so many theologians have called it the ‘Prayer Book of the Bible.’ It is full of honest, human thoughts and emotion filtered through Holy Spirit spoken truth. Everything from lament to celebration; thanksgiving to supplication; judgment to prophecy and much more!

The Psalms provide us with countless direction for how we are to dialog with God. Now in no way is this meant to be restrictive. Rather, the words of the Psalms help us to communicate in ways that our hearts and minds are often unable. The Psalms are not only helpful for guidance on what to do, but they are also helpful in giving wisdom and truth that leads to belief and deeper understanding of who God is and his love for us. Let’s take Psalm 96:1-4 for example. In this passage we see a command or a call to respond by declaring to the world about the wondrous works of God. An important question to ask here would be why? Why should I shout from the mountaintops about all the things God has done? Thankfully the passage answers that question for us, as it often does, by reminding us that “he is great!” Not in the colloquial sense that we often use it in but in the very profound sense that there is nothing in all creation, like God. Nothing compares to his love, his mercy, his kindness, his grace toward us through Christ Jesus!

If you are like me, than you need to be reminded of this daily, sometimes hourly, because our hearts are so quick to forget. The Psalms recalibrate our hearts with vital truths that enlighten our eyes to see things as God wants us to see them. It’s one thing to read a truth and process it with logic, it’s another to read “For great is the LORD,” believe it, and then respond in celebration.

That journey best begins by mediating on the words of God and allowing them to take root within. Begin your time in the word today by praying the Psalms, leaving space between each verse to meditate on the wondrous truths of God with no expectation for anything, except to know that He is present with you and you with Him.